Wall structure



F. L. KEPPLEH.

WALL sTRucT'uRE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. II. ISIS Ljqfgpmg Patented Lug. 8, i922.'

LLL CLL Lm@ E@ @DEBUT @UUQLLLQU v @@UUDCDU @@@QCLTUU FREDERICK Ill. KEPPLER, Gli NEW YORK, .'L\l'. Y.

'WALL STRUCTURE.

Manica Application led March 11, 1918.

T0 all whom t may conce/rn:

Be itknown that l, llnnnnnion L. KnrrLnn, a citizen of the United Statesj residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in TvWall Structures, ol" which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to improvements in wall structures and has particular reference to a wall structure made up or glass or other translucent material. It has for one object to provioe means whereby a number of segarate identical small glass units or blocks may be assembled together into a permanent wall structure wherein the weight is supoorted not by the glass block themselves but by a plastic or reinforced concrete grid. Another object is to provide means whereby such small glass blocks may be made up into a series of structural units or tiles and be so made up in the factory and shipped to the point ot use so that the workman will have a minimum of difculty and delay in as sembling these groups oi glass blocks into a structure which when finished will have the appearance of a continuous grid supporting the separate glass blocks. @ther objects ci' my invention will appear from time to time in the specification.

lily invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing wherein Figure l is a plan view of the tile or structural unit;

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing how the separate structural units are assembled to liorm the wall; l

Figure 3 is a section through two adjacent structural units before the plastic material which binds them together has been placed.

Like parts are indicated by like letters in all the figures. I

A is a glass block or integral glass unit. This block is the basis of my whole structure so tar as the glass or translucent part is concerned and the structure is made up of a multiplicity of these blocks assembled to gether so as to term what l have called a structural unit or tile which structural unit is in turn assembled in the wall to Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented luga 8, 192% Serial No. 221,650.

form the wall. The glass block itself is made up of a relatively thin glass plate il bounded about its periphery by a flange A? which flange has a peripheral rib A3 ex` tending outwardly beyond the periphery of the glass plate. This lanoe and rib form a kind of a skirt extending downwardly and outwardly from the periphery of the central ilat thin glass plate portion ol" the block. flhe periphery of the block is corrugated being provided with bears or outwardly projecting portions r5.4 arranged about the periphery of the block beneath the rib. The rib itself carries about its periphery on the side farthest from the body ot the block a bead A5.

These separate glass blocks are made up in large quantities and kept ready for use. rlfhese separate glass blocks are assembled in what l have called a structural unit or tile B. lt is called a structural unit because it is prepared before hand and taken to and built in the structure as a unit though7 oit course, this unit is made up of a series ot similar blocks and when it is built in the structure it 4.is merged in the structure and becomes no longer practically distinguishable.

This structural unit is made up of a large number of glass blocks as indicated. The only limit to the number of blocks which can be built into this unit is the practical working size of the unit. Under some circumstances it might be necessary to build the unit oi' only eight blocks instead ot eighteen or a larger number of blocks might be used. The point is that ordinarily these blocks would be so arranged that the structural. unit is twice as long as it high so that it can be conveniently built ina wall just as bricks are built in though, ot course, other arrangements can be and are used.

These blocks are lirst assembled in a group with the outer peripheries ot the ribs surrounding the lianges substantially in engagement though not quite touching with the flat side ot the block up. Reinforcing bars B1 B2 are then laid in pockets formed between adjacent blocks crossing as indicated. so that there is a i'ull reinforcing grid of wire or bar as the case may be. These pockets are then filled with concrete or other plastic material B3 in which the reinforcestructure itself is surrounded by a belt ofl plastic material B" engaging the corrugations A4 and resting upon the upper side of the rib A3 and surrounding the periphery of the glass plate as indica-ted. This belt of material is cut away or channeled. as at B6 so that when adjacent structural units are brought together there is a pocket provided in which reinforcing bar maybe located and which may then be filled with a further supply of plastic material to loclr and cement the parts all together.

Tt will be noted that in the structural unit itself each glass vblock is surrounded by a grid of plastic material and that plastic material is reinforced by reinforcing bars. The result of this is that the glass itself furnishes little if any of the structu al strength of the unit. You can break out half or even more of the glass blocks and still your structure will stand and be as durable as before. In other words, the reinforced grid furnishes such support that the strength of the glass units themselves is a solutely negligible, they merely fill the voids and permit light to enter.

Then the structural units are to be built into the wall or building structure they are laid up in cement mortar exactly the same as bricks or iireproofing tile or anything of the kind. The joints are broken as indicated. kPreferably, however, reinforcing bars are laid in the longer joints between successive tiers as indicated at C. These reinforcing bars do not need to extend throughout the full length of the'structure as continuous bars but short pieces may be used or they may be embedded in place. No vertical reinforcing bars need be used. There is no place for them and the staggering ofthe joints of the successive tiles or units in successive tiers together with the vertical reinforcing in the tiles or unitsthemselves furnishes sufficient vertical stability. Obviously as soon as the concrete mortar between-the separate tiles or units has had time to set the whole structure will be in the form of a monolithic reinforced concrete grid. enclosingl and containing a number of translucent glass blocks, many, if not all of which, can be removed by breaking them out without interfering with the strength of the structure.

Tt will be evident that while l have shown in my drawings an operative device, still .many changes might be made both in size,

shape and arrangement of parts without departing materially from the spirit of my invention and l wish, therefore, that my drawings be regarded as in a sense diagrammatic.

The use and operation `of my invention are as follows z- As indicated above the tiles are assembled on a plane surface with their flat surfaces upward, their edges joining. In the interstices between them suitable reinforcing members are placed. They` are then `united by concrete which is poured into these inter stices and which secures them together and holds the reinforcing members in place. At the same time the concrete cushion at the outer edge of the tile is molded. Thetiles are then stored away until it is desired to use them. They are then transported to the I place where they are to be used and are set up exactly as any tile or brick vis setup by being placed in proper position and united by cement or other mortar. Tt will be noted that the tiles come directly together only at the edge adjacent the raised bead. There is a space left between the opposed cement cushions on -the two tiles as shown in Figure 8. This space is designed to receive the cement in which they will be set up. There are provided witha further enlarged channel which is designed to receive a further reinforcing member should that be necessary.

is glass has no suction it has been found that cement or mortar in which. glass is set will harden very slowly. For this reason such walls sometimes require additional bracing means while they are setting. It is to obviate this that the cement cushion around the tile has been provided. The ce.- a

ment itself will exert. a suction upon the moist cement or mortar in which the tiles are set up and will cause it to hardenvery rapidly so that walls made in this fashion require no additional bracing means and may he set up exactly as any brickor earthen tile wall.

It frequently is unnecessary to have con'- tinuous reenfoi'cing members in the continuous joints and it is vnot necessary to 0in separate rcenforcing members together. Sufficient sti'ength can be obtained by laying the reenforcing members end to end in a: joint and having the reenforcing member in a parallel adjacent joint bridging the gap and 2 there might be gaps of considerable length between ends ofthe reenforcing members. I claim Y l l. As a new article of manufacture a preassembled building unit, comprising a self- Vsupporting concrete grid, and a plurality Vof translucent units secured edge to edge therein, and a channeled concrete band integral with the concretev grid surrounding` the entire unit.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a composite building tile comprising a plurality of translucent tile elements, the peripheries of said elements being channeled, a concrete grid enclosingsaid tiles and filling said channels and a channeled concrete rim about the entire tile structure.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a coinposite building' tile comprising a plurality of translucent tile elements, the peripheries of said elements being channeled, a rein- 10 forced concrete grid enclosing said tiles and filling said channels and a channeled concrete rim about the entire tile structure.

In testimony whereof, I afix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses this fifth day of March, 1918.

FREDERCK L. KEPPLER.

Witnesses:

MAURICE KEANE, ARTHUR S. BURTON. 

